Cancer Symptoms: Unexplained weight loss: Significant weight loss over a few months without any apparent cause, i.e. unexplained weight loss, can be one of the main warning signs that you might be suffering from cancer. This happens most often with cancers of the pancreas, stomach, esophagus, or lungs.

Cancer Symptoms: Fever: Fever may be associated with some cancers, too. Almost all patients with cancer will have fever at some time or the other, especially if the cancer or its treatment affects the immune system. One can also find constitutional symptoms of fatigue with some kind of cancers.

Cancer Symptoms: Pain: Pain usually occurs late, as early cancer stages are usually painless. Most often pain due to cancer is a symptom of cancer that has already spread. It can be felt early with cancers like bone or testicular cancer.

Cancer Symptoms: Changes in the skin: One can witness changes in his/her appearance, boundary or colour in a pre-existing mole or appearance of new lesions. Skin cancer may be developing in some. Especially in people who often chew tobacco, smoke or drink alcohol, their skin sores might not heal.

Cancer Symptoms: Changes in bowel habits or bladder function: Constipation, diahorea frequency, bleeding in urine. Pain when passing urine, blood in the urine, or a change in bladder function.

Cancer Symptoms: White patches inside the mouth or white spots on the tongue: It is also known as lenkoplakia, which may progress to oral cavity cancer later. Leukoplakia is a pre-cancerous area that is caused by frequent irritation. If it is not treated, leukoplakia can become oral cancer.

Cancer Symptoms: Unusual bleeding or discharge: It can happen in early or advanced cancer. Blood in the sputum (phlegm) may be a sign of lung cancer. Blood in the stool could be a sign of colon or rectal cancer. Cancer of the cervix or the endometrium (lining of the uterus) can cause abnormal vaginal bleeding. Blood in the urine may be a sign of bladder or kidney cancer. A bloody discharge from the nipple may be a sign of breast cancer.

Cancer Symptoms: Thickening or lump in the breast or other parts of the body: These symptoms can be caused by many other reasons, other than cancer, and a doctor is the best person to identify the reason after necessary investigations. Instead of waiting for symptoms to surface, it would be better to opt for periodic health checkups.

Cancer Symptoms: Indigestion or trouble swallowing: It is usually associated with stomach or esophagus (food pipe) cancer. Getting it checked and treated as soon as it occurs will prevent further developments.

Cancer Symptoms: Nagging cough or hoarsenes: This can be one of the main symptoms of throat cancer. If the cough remains for a long time, then it may be a sign of lung or vocal cord cancer.

Cancer Symptoms: Itching, crusting or bleeding: These are less common signs but should not be ignored. It is important to see your doctor if you have any unusual marks on the skin that last more than a few weeks, or an existing mole which shows any of the above signs. If necessary they will arrange for you to see a doctor who specialises in skin conditions (a dermatologist) or a surgeon.

General symptoms of Lung cancer: Pain is experienced in the chest, back and shoulders; this is generally different from the pain experienced during coughing, the colour and the volume of the sputum changes, shortness of breath; Coughing blood with consistent lung problems like bronchitis or pneumonia; loss of appetite and the patient experiences constant fatigue; bone and joint pain, facial and neck swelling.

Less common symptoms of lung cancer: Problem in swallowing, finger clubbing, which means changes in the shape of your finger and nails, blockage of blood vessels in the face area, and swelling in the neck area because of lymph nodes.

Cancer Symptoms: Hormone related symptoms: Weakness in the muscles, needles and numbness in the fingers, drowsiness, dizziness and confusion, swelling of chest in men and blood clots.

Ovarian Cancer symptoms: Pain in the abdomen, pelvis or legs, swollen abdomen, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, feeling tired all the time, difficulty in eating, weight loss or weight gain, fatigue, pain during intercourse and frequent urination.

Self Examination for breast cancer symptoms: The breast self-exam is a way that you can check your breasts for changes (such as lumps or thickenings). It includes looking at and feeling your breast. Any unusual changes should be reported to your doctor. When breast cancer is detected in its early stages, your chances of surviving the disease are greatly improved.

Symptoms of male breast cancer:

Breast cancer does not produce symptoms when the tumor is small and most treatable. It is therefore very important to follow recommended screening guidelines for detecting breast cancer at an early stage, before symptoms develop. The most common sign in men is a firm, non-painful mass located just below the nipple. There may not be other associated symptoms. The cancer may cause skin changes in the area of the nipple. These can include ulceration of the skin, puckering or dimpling, redness or scaling of the nipple, or retraction (turning inward) of the nipple. Bloody or opaque discharge from the nipple may also occur.

Cancer Symptoms: Oral cancer typically presents itself as a non-healing ulcer or exophytic growth, which may be associated with pain, occasional bleeding and surrounding induration (hardening around an area). The lesion may be red, white or pink in color.

Cancer Symptoms: Who is at risk of cervical cancer: With negligent visible symptoms in early stages, cervical cancer can stay unnoticed for many years. However, a few symptoms like foul smelling vaginal discharge, bleeding after sexual activity, persistent lower abdominal and back pain indicate the disease.

The sarcoma begins with abnormal changes in the cervical tissue. The risk of developing these abnormal changes has been associated with certain factors, including previous infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), early sexual contact, multiple sexual partners, poor hygiene, cigarette smoking and HIV positivity.

10 Strategies to Prevent Cancer:

There is lots of conflicting advice about what we should do, or should not do, to decrease the risk of developing cancer. That’s part of what makes cancer so scary. Moreover, there are plenty of people who seem to do everything 'right' and are still diagnosed with cancer. But if you follow the 10 recommendations described in these pages, you will go a long way toward reducing your overall cancer risk. And don’t forget to get the recommended screening rests, some of which (like colonoscopy) can actually prevent cancer.